First Floor #172 – This Song May Give You Nightmares
a.k.a. The iconic 'Unsolved Mysteries' theme, plus a round-up of the week's electronic music news and a fresh batch of new track recommendations.
I’m not going to lie. I really thought at least some First Floor readers were going be excited when they saw my article about the Unsolved Mysteries theme. Admittedly it veered a bit from my usual electronic music beat, but this was a huge show (at least in America) and yet, the piece so far hasn’t generated much of a response. That’s fine of course, and maybe it’ll change now that the paywall has come down, but let me just say that even for those who already know the show and its music, hearing homemade EDM and Christian trap versions of a 35-year-old TV theme song is a truly eye-opening experience.
Before we get started, I also wanted to give everyone a quick reminder about my forthcoming book. The release date is coming up in July; have you ordered your copy? If you’re in the UK (or just want to get the book as quickly as possible), definitely preorder from Velocity Press, while folks in the US can find a variety of buy options here. If you’re anywhere else, ask your favorite bookseller to order it, or you can also find it on Amazon. (Just FYI, I will also be doing a First Floor book tour in select UK and EU cities; stay tuned for more details on that.)
Otherwise, let’s get into today’s newsletter, which I’m happy to say features a very special appearance by KMRU. Elsewhere, I’ve put together the usual assortment of electronic music news, links and track recommendations, so go ahead and dive in; you’ll surely find something you like.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Every Tuesday, First Floor publishes a long-form piece that’s exclusively made available to paid newsletter subscribers only. The latest one, which is now (temporarily) open to everyone, examines the iconic theme song of US television series Unsolved Mysteries, which not only freaked out millions of people during the ’80s, ’90s and 2000s, but has also found an oddly enduring life online, spawning countless tributes and DIY remixes.
REAL QUICK
A round-up of the last week’s most interesting electronic music news, plus links to interviews, mixes, articles and other things I think are worth sharing.
Tuesday was International Synth Day, and Attack magazine marked the occasion by running an in-depth feature on the Ampron Aubade, a machine from the early ’70s that’s now extremely rare. (No more than four units are thought to exist in the entire world.) Written by Adam Douglas, the piece dives into the history of this elusive machine, and also lays out much of its inner workings.
When it comes to working conditions, musicians have no shortage of things to legitimately complain about, yet as a collective, they often seem to lack organizing power. In a new article for Pitchfork, Luke Ottenhof looks at why that is, tracing back the history of collective bargaining amongst musicians (and the legal roadblocks that the government has put in their way) and highlighting proposals that have been put forward to improve their standing.
Pitchfork tapped writer Grayson Haver Currin to profile London-based Italian artist and mixing /recording engineer Marta Salgoni. The wide-ranging piece touches upon her studio work with acts like Björk and Depeche Mode, along with the death of her partner Tom Relleen and how she managed to finish Music for Open Spaces, the final album they made together.
JUST ANNOUNCED
A round-up of noteworthy new and upcoming releases announced during the past week.
Courtesy has completed her debut album. Entitled fra eufori and set for a September 12 release on her own Kulør label, the LP finds the Danish artist covering a number of trance and pop-dance anthems from the ’90s and 2000s, including songs by Madonna and Enya. Assisting in this effort are guest vocalists like Erika de Casier, Merely, Sophie Joe and Lyra Pramuk; the latter appears on the record’s first single, a cover of Chicane’s “Saltwater” that’s already been shared. (And for those interested in hearing more about Courtesy’s relationship with pop music, it’s one of the many topics touched upon in the latest installment of Resident Advisor’s The Art of DJing series, in which she talks to Niamh O'Connor about her approach to the craft.)
Hudson Mohawke and Nikki Nair are not only working together, but yesterday the pair dropped a surprise EP, Set the Roof, which is out now on Warp Records.
It was likely only a matter of time until Perila showed up on Shelter Press, and yesterday the French imprint unveiled On the Corner of the Day, a new cassette from the prolific Berlin ambient / experimental artist. It’s available now.
Lindstrøm has a new album on the way. Although it has only four tracks, Everyone Else Is a Stranger spans more than 40 minutes, and opening number “Syreen” has already been shared. The rest of the tracks are due to surface on July 14, when the LP is released by Smalltown Supersound.
Loraine James has completed a new full-length, and says it’s the album “a teenage Loraine would like to have made.” Entitled Gentle Confrontation, it features collaborations with Marina Herlop, keiyaA, George Riley and others, and is scheduled to arrive on September 22 via Hyperdub. In the meantime, first single “2003”—which features James on vocals and addresses her father’s death—is already available, as is its accompanying video.
Julio Bashmore is back! Eight years removed from his last release under that name—he’s quietly slipped out some low-key releases as Bash since then—the UK producer shared a new single this week, “Bubblin,” which is out now on the Local Action label.
Galcher Lustwerk quietly debuted the Macchiatto alias last year, and now the NYC artist has revived the moniker on a new 12-track release called Jeans in Moet (Deluxe Edition). It’s available through his Lustwerk Music imprint.
When it comes to aliases, few artists have gone by more names than Legowelt, and last week the Dutch synth maestro went back to his Alchemulator project, offering up a new album called A Lonely Larper on LARPA net. It’s out now via his own Nightwind label, and has been released as a name-your-price download on Bandcamp.
New music from Jubilee is always a cause for celebration, and last week the NYC artist offered up a new single, “DELETE,” through her own Magic City imprint.
Goldie’s 1995 album Timeless is one of the most storied LPs in the history of jungle / drum & bass (and arguably all of electronic music), and now London Records is getting ready to release Timeless (The Remixes). The collection includes new reworks from the likes of Trevino, J Kenzo, Grey Code and others, along with a second disc of newly remastered “classic” remixes from Doc Scott, 4 Hero, TeeBee and more. Ahead of the album’s arrival on July 21, a new remix of “Inner City Life” by Break has already been shared.
Matthew Dear’s much-loved Audion project got its start on Ghostly International offshoot Spectral Sound approximately two decades ago, and now it’s set to return to the imprint with a new EP, The Return of Losing It. The two-track record is scheduled to drop on June 13, but its 15-minute title track can be heard now.
Earlier in the year, DJ Bone teased a forthcoming new album, but now the Detroit veteran (who currently resides in Amsterdam) has shared all of the details around FURTHER, which he says will be the final release on his long-running Subject Detroit label. It’s set to appear on June 16, and while no additional music has been shared (a radio edit of “The Will to Overcome” went online last month), all of the pertinent details about the LP can be found in this Resident Advisor news story.
KMRU HAS BETTER TASTE THAN I DO
First Floor is effectively a one-person operation, but every edition of the newsletter cedes a small portion of the spotlight to an artist, writer or other figure from the music world, inviting them to recommend a piece of music. This week’s installment comes from KMRU, a Berlin-based Kenyan sound artist who caught the entire ambient sphere’s attention with his 2020 album Peel, and has since been widely recognized as one of the genre’s brightest talents. Though he’s best known for his patient tones and gentle field recordings, his Limen collaboration with Aho Ssan made clear that KMRU is someone’s who just as comfortable with tectonic fury as he is with quiet meditation. His recommendation here falls into the latter category, and knowing how busy he is—after all, this is someone who seems to drop something new (and essential) via his Bandcamp page every few months—it’s a real thrill that he carved out the time to join today’s newsletter.
Nuno Canavarro “Bruma” (Drag City)
I came across this track on the radio a few years back, and I remember trying to Shazam it so I could figure out what this beautiful song was. I’m not sure I figured it out back then, but I do recall discovering Nuno Canavarro’s 1988 album Plux Quba (most recently reissued in 2015), which brought me back to this track that I had previously tried to find. “Bruma” is part of a stunning electro-acoustic album that evokes depth, nuanced emotions and dreamlike memories. It’s a timeless record, and one that’s strikingly gorgeous.
NEW THIS WEEK
The following is a selection of my favorite tunes from releases that came out during the past week or so. ‘The Big Three’ are the songs I especially want to highlight (and therefore have longer write-ups), but the tracks in the ‘Best of the Rest’ section are also very much worth your time. Click the track titles to hear each song individually, or you can also just head over to this convenient Buy Music Club list if you prefer to listen to them all in one place.
THE BIG THREE
Candyfloss Mountain “Scaling Sherbert Valley” (Métron)
Candyfloss Mountain “Bubblegum Bouncy Castle” (Métron)
Bingeing on candy is said to be bad for one’s health, but Jon Dix and Joe Quirke (a.k.a. JQ) have thrown caution to the wind with their Candyfloss Mountain project—and come up with something dazzling in the process. Inspired by a (completely imagined) animated universe, the London duo’s debut LP, Escape from Candyfloss Mountain, is the first in what they describe as a series of conceptual game soundtracks, and its 11 tracks owe an obvious debt to the sparkling sounds of ’90s and 2000s video games. (Although it’s not explicitly stated, the bouncy legacies of Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog do seem to loom especially large.)
Yet video game music is only one piece of the Candyfloss Mountain equation. The opening chords of album standout “Scaling Sherbert Valley” sound like something Cyndi Lauper might have once sung over, while the song’s neon-glee-meets-booming-rap-beats construction recalls the work of Glass Swords-era Rustie. “Bubblegum Bouncy Castle,” on the other hand, is euphoria concentrate, its procession of twirling, trance-like synths bolstered by glistening chimes and a palpable sense of wonder. The sugar levels on Escape from Candyfloss Mountain are undeniably off the charts, but somehow, its colorful morsels never seem to result in a queasy stomach.
Canaan Balsam “Rat in a skull” (Where to Now?)
Canaan Balsam “Eternity lies within or nowhere” (Where to Now?)
Canaan Balsam “I am Skeleton” (Where to Now?)
Eternity lies within or nowhere, the second full-length from Canaan Balsam, is an arrestingly gorgeous record, and as much as I’d like to describe its wonders myself, it’s honestly hard to top the LP’s promotional blurb, which states that the Edinburgh composer’s work “revolves around the exploration of the dead space between ambient and new age music, the liminal zone between the harshness of industrial and the beatific serenity of devotional music.” That pretty much nails the aesthetic, but it’s worth noting that by infusing his existential gloom and melancholy with cathedral-ready drama and majesty, Balsam occupies an unique emotional space, one that’s both totally captivating and full of fascinating contradictions.
Album opener “Rat in a skull” nestles its spoken-word laments amongst sumptuous strings, sonorous chimes and a persistently howling winter wind; one could mistake it for a Christmas song if the vibe wasn’t so dire. Similarly chilly is “Eternity lies within or nowhere,” a soaring (and occasionally rather crunchy) instrumental that’s half hymn and half shoegazey squall, and while “I am Skeleton” provides little in the way of additional sunlight, there’s something calming about its moody narration and syrupy textures, which conjure images of sitting by the sea and watching the tide on an unceasingly grey morning.
isolée “con o sin” (resort island)
Surveying the garish excess of today’s dance music landscape, it’s almost inconceivable that the manicured sounds of microhouse once dominated the genre. A lot has changed in 25 years, and yet resort island, the first album from German artist (and one-time microhouse hero) isolée in more than a decade, feels like a welcome breath of fresh air. It’s not a throwback per se—those hoping for a sequel to his 1998 anthem “Beau Mot Plage” or celebrated 2005 full-length We Are Monster will be disappointed—but the record’s relaxed sensibility immediately seems familiar, as does isolée’s attention to detail. Although it’s ostensibly dance music, it certainly doesn’t require a dancefloor, and while its lean-back spirit is partially conceptual—the LP is billed as exploring the idea of escapism—there’s also a natural ease to its languid grooves and smeared, quasi-Balearic sound palette. Artists like DJ Koze make for an obvious point of comparison, especially since isolée has appeared on the Pampa label a number of times over the years, but with its tinkling melodic bursts and jaunty strings, album highlight “con o sin” also brings to mind the playful early work of acts like Röyksopp. It’s not microhouse—in fact, I’m not sure exactly what it is—but it’s great.
BEST OF THE REST
Unknown Artist “Slide” (Matissa)
Back in 2021, the Mantissa label was launched with an EP from Unknown Artist, a “close friend” of the London imprint who for some reason chose to remain “unnamed and elusive.” Several releases later, the mysterious figure has now shown up on the label’s new compilation EP, Mantissa 005, and completely steals the show with the delightful “Slide,” a positively beaming bit of not-quite-techno that merrily bops across the dancefloor, firing off technicolor melodies and leaving nothing but smiles in its wake.
Yoikol “The Deepest Feeling” (Who Whom)
In a time when crafting a rave-ready techno track is frequently boiled down to notions of making the music faster and harder, “The Deepest Feeling” follows a slightly different path. A standout from Spanish producer Yoikol’s new Degradation EP, it’s not a mellow tune, clocking in above 140 bpm, but rather than pummeling dancers with kick drums, the track rolls out a steady procession of dramatic synth stabs, skillfully turning up the temperature without inducing nosebleeds in the process.
Amor Satyr “Quer Dançar?” (Seilscheibenpfeiler)
Full disclosure: I was hired to write the promotional text for Amor Satyr’s new Transfer EP—feel free to check out my words here—and while that may taint this recommendation in the eyes of certain readers (fair enough), my enthusiasm for this French artist and his high-energy rave hybrids is 100% genuine. “Quer Dançar?” blends the breakdance-ready beats of Brazilian baile funk with neon synths that might make Paul van Dyk blush, resulting in a tune that’s downright electric.
Ekman “A Way Home” (Creme Organization)
Something of an unsung hero amongst those with a passion for electro-techno hybrids, Ekman dug through two decades of unreleased productions when putting together The Strange Vice of .. Ekman, a two-part release which showcases his uniquely spooky take on the sound. A wiggly cut with an anxious underbelly, “A Way Home” is a clear highlight, the glow of its sci-fi-indebted synths (vintage shows like Doctor Who come to mind) tempered by a sense that something awful is just around the corner.
Retromigration “Bad Knees (feat. Nephews)” (Wolf)
Although Retromigration has always specialized in soulful sounds, the Amsterdam artist’s debut album Straight Foxin’ moves beyond the deep house he’s primarily known for, nodding toward hip-hop, jazz, funk, R&B and even jungle. LP standout “Bad Knees” falls into that last category, blinding smooth ’80s saxophone with the same sort of chilled drum & bass grooves that acts like LTJ Bukem and Photek made famous in the ’90s, landing on something that will bump on headphones and bassbins alike.
Flower Storm “this is my court” (Flower Storm)
A new collaboration between artists Sepehr and Kasra V—both of whom are members of the Iranian diaspora—Flower Storm is a project “born from the desire for club culture to coexist with the deep roots of their motherland and nationalities.” Heavily steeped in the recontextualization of classic Iranian sounds, the duo’s debut EP Yek might initially seem like some sort of academic exercise, but the music is ultimately just as strong as the underlying concept. “this is my court” is particularly good, a proper heater that offsets its flurry of cracking (and distinctly Iranian) percussion with dramatic strings and disembodied snippets of Farsi.
Caveman LSD “Lost Hours” (Isla)
Apparently inspired by an LSD trip in San Francisco, Total Annihilation Beach is undoubtedly a well-titled record, but the EP—the latest from Caveman LSD (a.k.a. 3XL founder Special Guest DJ, who also operates under several other monikers)—pilots a satisfying course, its ambient-not-ambient journey seemingly powered by digital pastels and weightless rhythms. Even with its simmering tabla groove, opening cut “Lost Hours” floats amongst the clouds, the song’s alien melodies keeping things both blissful and deliciously weird.
Joey Anderson “Monarchs” (Inimeg)
While Joey Anderson has occasionally veered away from the dancefloor over the years, “Monarchs”—the title track of the New Jersey producer’s latest EP—is possibly the first time he’s ever sounded like a full-blown synth explorer. Acts like Tangerine Dream come to mind, and with its lush synths, tweaked nature sounds and dramatic arpeggios, the song is certainly the most majestic thing he’s ever done, yet Anderson capably keeps it moving, proving as adept with motorik chug as he’s previously been with bleary-eyed house and techno grooves.
Seconds “Ciani” (Flow State)
Calling a song “Ciani” sets some pretty high expectations (at least amongst synth obsessives), but Los Angeles artist Seconds doesn’t disappoint with this nine-minute excursion, which recalls some of the lushest sectors of the krautrock canon. Taken from a self-titled new EP—an effort said to be inspired Can, Steve Reich and Kraftwerk, amongst others—the song wears its influences on its sleeve, but its patient approach and slow-burning psychedelia is hypnotic all the same.
UCC Harlo “Riverbeds (Palo Duro)” (Subtext)
A classically trained musician who’s previously collaborated with Caterina Barbieri, Holly Herndon and Emptyset, UCC Harlo largely goes it alone on new album Topos, on which the New York-based artist combines the rich tones of her baroque viola with whispered fragments of her own voice. It’s a sparse recipe, but as LP opener “Riverbeds (Palo Duro)” makes clear, the end result is remarkably robust, offering both symphonic grandeur and emotional intimacy in equal measure.
That brings us to the end of today’s newsletter. Thank you so much for reading First Floor, and as always, I do hope that you enjoyed the tunes. (Don’t forget, you can find them all on this handy Buy Music Club list, and if you like them, please buy them.)
Until next time,
Shawn
Shawn Reynaldo is a freelance writer, editor, presenter and project manager. Find him on LinkedIn and Twitter, or you can just drop him an email to get in touch about projects, collaborations or potential work opportunities.